Water-heating apparatus



7 Dec. 16, 1924. 1,519,594

G. E. SHOEMAKER WATER HEATING vAPPARATUS Filed May 18, 1921 III/111%} minic in g! I Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

Iran-STATES GUY E. SHOEMAKER, OF FREEDOM, PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-HEATING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 18, 1921. Serial No. 470,518.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY E. SHOEMAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Freedom, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-HeatingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in water hea ing and storage apparatusfor domestic or other use, and has for its object to provide means forsimplifying and improving mechanism of this class.

Ordinarily, in heating water in a boiler it is customary to introducethe cold water supplythrough a pipe leading downwardly towards-thebottom inside the boiler, having at its upper portion a small air orsteam circulation port for breaking the vacuum and avoiding siphoningaction and drainage of the contents when the supply cock or valve isactuated. Such pipe is subject to corrosion in extended use, and beingconcealed within the boiler, it frequently is destroyed by action of thewater, with the resulting disarrangement of the system.

In my invention I provide a construction in which all interior pipes areeliminated and all connections are exterior to the boiler, utilizing aspecial construction of ported by-pass connection for preventingsiphonage. Various other advantages incidental to the installation,operation and general eficiency of the equipment will be more fullyhereinafter described.

In the drawing, illustrating certain preferred embodiments of theinvention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the apparatus as arrangedwith a vertical boiler;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it in connection with a horizontallyarranged boiler;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view of my special union providedwith the siphonage preventing port;

Fig. 4: is a cross section on line IV- IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view like Fig. 3 showing a variable controlby-pass In the drawings, 2 is an ordinary range boiler, such as iscommonly used for heating water, either with a range water back or witha heater 3 of the instantaneous heater or other type. Boiler 2 isprovided with a cold water supply line, as pipe 4, opening into theinterior slightly above the bottom 5 which may be welded or riveted tothe boiler shell, and of any suitable form for the collection ofsediment, mud, etc. An outlet pipe 6 having a controlling valve or cook7 is provided for drawing ofi' collected sediment or for emptying theboiler in the usual way.

Pipe 4 is connected with the main supply pipe 8 preferably above thewater level within the boiler by suitable fitting connections 9 and hasa controlling valve or cock 10 with a by-pass port opening to theexterior, of usual construction. water is supplied to the boiler by pipe4, from supply pipe 8, with cook 10 open. The water within the boiler isheated by heater 3, entering through pipe connection 11, and returningat a higher level by connection 12, the heater operating by a fuelsupply 13 of well known form, either constant fuel supply or controlledby the draining-off faucet at any hot water supply terminal.

Hot water is furnished to the supply system by pipe 14 leading fromconnection 15 at the top'of the boiler. where the water is of highesttemperature. For the purposeof accomplishing the main obiect of theinvention, I provide between the top of the boiler and supply pipe 8 aconnecting pipe 16 with suitable elbow or other fittings to establishcommunication therewith, through a special union 17. This union, whichis illustrated more fully in detail in Figs. 3 and 4:, is of limitedcirculatin capacity, for which purpose it is provided with a cross wall18 and an inserted bushing 19 having a reduced opening 20, of limitedcross section, say one-sixteenth of an inch. The bushing is preferablyof brass or other suitable non-corrosive material, so that the reducedopening 20 will remain clean and unobstructed. If desired, however, theentire union may be of similar non-corrosive material, with the aperture20 directly through the cross wall 18, with the same results.

In Fig. 5 I show a modified construction of fitting 17 of ordinaryneedle valve con struction, in which the circulation through port 20 maybe accurately regulated and controlled bymeans of the taper valveterminal 21 of threaded stem 22 to establish communication between pipe16 and extension 4: leading to fitting 9. V

In operation, when cook 10 is opened,

By this means, cold Ion lit)

the contents of pipe 8 may be emptied by gravity below fittlngs 9, butby reason of theair or steam supply through port 20, it will beimpossibleto maintain a vacuum and resulting siphonage of the contentsof the boiler through pipe 4:, so that. the contentsof boiler 2 willremain unaffectedi The pressure at the circulation restricting port 20constantly tends to unbalance theequilibrium, not only of pressure, butalso flow, of the water, and renders the system normally open at alltimes for additional supply to the boiler, but prevents at all times anytendency as to emptying by siphon action. The interior cold water supplypipe of the old construction, with its accompanying objections, iseliminated, while the direct outside connection with the base area ofthe boiler in conjunction with the by: pass connection at the top withthe hot water delivery pipe through the restricted connection 17,ensures continuous service operation with the advantage of simplicityand economy as tooriginal installation and cost.

If desired, the boiler 2 may be mounted horizontally, as in Fig. 2, andthe various connections of the corresponding parts made in the mannershown and referred to by corres onding numerals having the exponent a.

The boiler shell is preferably of one piece of pressed steel having therounded head at one end and the inserted end 5 at the other, dished asshown, to provide resisting strength and also a "collecting pocket forcollection of sediment, in upright posi tion. However, any other designor form of construction may be utilized Within the scope of theinvention.

The general arrangement of the parts may also be changed or varied tosuit different conditions of use or application, in which respect theinvention is not limited to the specific field of domestic hot waterinstallations, as other uses and applications will suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

The combination with a boiler, of a branch cold water supply pipeopening into the boiler at the lower portion thereof and extendingupwardly exteriorly of the boiler to a point above the top thereof, amain cold Water supply pipe connected at one end with the upper end ofsaid branch cold water supply pipe and extending downwarcllysubstantially to the lower. end of the branch cold water supply pipe, acombined cut-ofi andbleed valve interposed in the main cold water supplypipe, a hotwater delivery pipe connected with the upper portion of theboiler, and a conduit connecting the hot water delivery pipe with theupper end of said branch cold water supply pipe and haying a reducedcirculation port therein.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

- GUY E. SHOEMAKER.

